RAF Heliopolis | |||||||
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Heliopolis, Cairo, Cairo Governorate in Egypt | |||||||
Site information | |||||||
Type | Royal Air Force station | ||||||
Operator | Royal Air Force | ||||||
Location | |||||||
Coordinates | 30°05′01″N31°18′49″E / 30.08361°N 31.31361°E | ||||||
Site history | |||||||
Built | 1916 | ||||||
In use | 1916–1944 | ||||||
Battles/wars | Mediterranean and Middle East theatre of World War II | ||||||
Airfield information | |||||||
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Royal Air Force Heliopolis or more simply RAF Heliopolis is a former Royal Air Force station located to the east of Cairo City centre, Cairo Governorate, Egypt.
During World War I the aerodrome was operated by the British Royal Flying Corps, housing several squadrons as well as a training wing, and then the Royal Air Force, being designated RAF Heliopolis in April 1918. [1] In the inter-war period it remained an active RAF base, housing several squadrons, including No. 208 Squadron RAF which was based there almost continuously from 1927 until 1942. [1]
At the end of a training regime from January to mid-March 1942 (involving the handling of Italian and German weapons, sabotage and parachutism), the French SAS company executed a surprise mock attack against the aerodrome of Heliopolis without the knowledge of the garrison and its commander. [2]
The following RAF squadrons were also here at some point:
After the Second World War, the site was turned into an army barracks then, turned into the Egyptian Air Force Headquarters.